Using The Spices

First thing we did upon return to humidity was to pull on shorts and slippers, then zipped out to Tekka Market to buy ingredients for some cooking. The man had a craving for goat curry Caribbean style. I wanted pilaf and dhal. We miss spices and the taste of food from our pots. Hahaha. But we haven't had much time to cook, much less host the friends. 2014 has been crazy, 2015 doesn't look less busy. But towards year-end, the new year, and over the festive seasons, we try to find some time to turn on the stove and oven, for nothing else but prepare food as gifts for the friends.

We don't have a pot to cook pilaf or biryani. The rice cooker works all right for now. Stocked up on India Gate basmati rice. Love this brand. The rice always comes out right even in the rice cooker. On any given day, our fridge holds sambal-something and also dhal. Instead of the usual, the man decided to boil up dhal makhani, something heavier and a bit spicier. We did try to lessen the amount of butter that went into the pan. Hahahah. But whatever. Butter rocks.

Minimal prep for this meal. By that I mean we don't have to start cooking from two nights before the meal. Only needed to do the prep work of soaking the kidney beans and sabut urad for a few hours, and let the goat meat sit in marinade overnight. Then we fried up things here and there and the meal was ready. Had to be careful not to break up the Scotch bonnet peppers in the pot. Scooped them out and mashed them separately. Could always add it in for people who desire it super-spicy. Scotch bonnet peppers are quite something. Portions of goat curry, dhal and rice went into boxes as gifts for the friends, and there were still plenty of leftovers to freeze for the next week.

The man's got these recipes down pat. Not that he comes up with his own. He simply scans the recipes online and usually takes points from across the board. He doesn't bother remembering them either. Just google them the next round. He never quite does one item the same way again. Dinner was absolutely satisfying. Our type of comfort food. The rare times I eat so much rice. Tasty.